Single-Electrode Material Streamlines Functions Into a Tiny Chip
July 29, 2019 | KAUSTEstimated reading time: 1 minute

The ability to combine many functions into a single microchip is a significant advance in the quest to perfect the tiny, self-powered sensors that will expand the Internet of things. KAUST researchers have managed to combine sensing, energy-harvesting, current-rectifying and energy-storage functions into a single microchip.
"Previously, researchers had to use bulky rectifiers that converted intermittent harvested electrical energy into steady direct current for storage in electrochemical microsupercapacitors," says Mrinal K. Hota, research scientist at KAUST and lead author of the study.
Hota explains that the key to integrating everything into a single chip was the development of ruthenium oxide (RuO2) as the common electrode material connecting all devices in the microcircuits. The team envisages a broad range of applications from monitoring personal health indications directly from the human body to environmental and industrial sensing.
"Our achievement simplifies device fabrication and realizes significant miniaturization of self-powered sensor devices," says project leader Husam Alshareef.
The ruthenium-oxide contacts are laid onto a glass or silicon substrate to connect sensing, energy-harvesting and current-rectifying electronics with one or more electrochemical microsupercapacitors that store the electrical energy. This creates a tiny system that can operate without any battery power. Instead it uses available body movement or machinery vibrations as the reliable and continual source of energy.
"Unlike a battery, electrochemical microsupercapacitors can last for hundreds of thousands of cycles rather than just a few thousand," Hota points out. They can also deliver a significantly higher power output from a given volume.
A key to creating electrode material suitable for connecting all devices was to make optimal ruthenium-dioxide surfaces with controlled roughness, defects and conductivity. These features enabled the team to use RuO2 for both electronics and electrochemical microsupercapacitors.
Another crucial innovation was to use a gel that, after application, solidifies into the supercapacitors' electrolyte. This is a material that transports electric charge in the form of ions. The solidified gel was chosen to avoid any damage to rectifiers and thin-film transistors.
The researchers now plan to work to optimize the RuO2 electrodes further and explore linking many different types of sensors into their chips. They also want to investigate adding wireless communication into the device. This would allow biosensors and environmental sensors to send data remotely to any wireless receivers, including mobile phones and personal computers.
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Alternative Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI) Announces Commitment to Excellence in Industrial, Defense, Aerospace, Renewables, and Robotics Markets
09/16/2025 | Alternative Manufacturing, Inc.Alternative Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI), a 100% employee-owned contract manufacturer, proudly reaffirms its leadership in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry with a continued commitment to delivering high-quality PCBAs and box builds across the industrial, defense, aerospace, renewable energy, and robotics markets.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Running the Signal Gauntlet
09/11/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonIf you’ve ever run a military obstacle course, you know it’s less “fun fitness challenge” and more “how can we inflict as much pain in the shortest time possible?” You start fresh—chest out, lungs full of confidence, thinking you might even look good doing this—and 10 seconds later, you’re questioning all your life choices.
Hitachi Unveils $1B U.S. Investment in Critical Grid Infrastructure
09/05/2025 | Hitachi EnergyHitachi Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and global leader in electrification, today announced a historic investment of more than $1 billion USD to expand the production of critical electrical grid infrastructure in the United States.
Ferric Launches New Integrated Voltage Regulator for AI and High-Performance Processors
08/27/2025 | BUSINESS WIREFe1766 delivers an unprecedented 160 A in the industry’s smallest IVR footprint, redefining chip-level and system-level power delivery for the AI era.
Tigo Energy Initiates ‘Made in the USA’ Manufacturing Partnership With EG4 Electronics Share
08/27/2025 | BUSINESS WIRETigo Energy, Inc announced a manufacturing and marketing partnership with EG4 Electronics to produce Tigo optimized inverters and Module Level Power Electronics (MLPE) together with EG4 solar inverters in the United States of America.